Leia, on the other hand, sat alone on a hill. It was silent and desolate, surrounded by a bloody scene. She looked utterly miserable.Chase could not help but think more highly of Leia. This woman always wore a facade, willing to bear the vilest accusations just to hide her true self. She was a person with a strong inner strength.As Chase continued to observe Leia's illusion, the green field gradually shrank. Soon, the green field disappeared entirely, followed by the castle walls and then the great hall. Eventually, the entire castle vanished, replaced by a vast expanse of yellow sand.The five people slowly woke up, with Chase being the first to regain consciousness. He saw that they were all stark naked in the midst of the endless desert, with no trace of the green field or the castle. Chase knew that it was just as the old man with the gray beard had said—the old man had completely dissipated.Seizing the moment while the other four had not fully awakened, Chase quickly stor
Thinking of this, the few of them broke out in a cold sweat."Who was the first to wake up?" Everett pressed on, still unwilling to give up."It seemed to be him," Leia pointed at Chase without hiding anything.Something like this could not be hidden. Even if she did not say it, it would have been deduced eventually."Chase, it's you again. Be honest, what did you get inside the castle?" Everett clearly suspected Chase of something."Don't go too far, Everett. So what if I was the first to wake up? What could I have gotten? If I had gotten something, wouldn't I have done something to you all when I woke up first? Or I could have just left first. Are you an idiot?" Chase retorted, silently thinking how quick this guy was to suspect him."That's because you're clever. If you had left first, we would've chased after you. In order to clear yourself of suspicion, you deliberately stayed with us. So, hand it over and let us see." It was not certain if Everett was just guessing or if he
"Since that's the case, let's skip the talking and get to it. In the end, words are useless. What matters is our skills," Chase declared proactively."Don't blame us for ganging up on you, then," Everett responded first, launching his attack. With the illusions gone, their powers had been restored, and his stage-nine marquis cultivation flared out.Everett swiftly advanced. Bo, Immanuel, and Leia—not to be outdone—also attacked simultaneously, forming a four-cornered encirclement around Chase.When did marquis-level fighters become so common? Besides Bo, who was slightly weaker, Immanuel and Leia were stage-eight marquises of martial arts. Everett, of course, was a stage-nine marquis.Even when surrounded, Chase remained calm, not even bothering to use his weapon.He effortlessly countered their attacks with pure techniques. Before Lucas trained him, Chase might have struggled with such a formation. However, after Caspian went into seclusion and Lucas took over his training, Chase
Seeing this, Bo shouted, "Leia, lend us a hand, or else none of us will escape death!"If Everett died here, that would leave only the three of them—two stage-eight marquises and Bo—against Chase. It would be a dead end.Thus, Leia also joined in. A red light flashed, and she emitted a mesmerizing aura.Finally, when Immanuel also joined the fray, the four of them together managed to fend off Chase's attack."Since you managed to block one of my moves, I'll spare you this time. But next time, I won't show any mercy," Chase warned before turning away and disappearing in an instant without looking back."Who would have thought that Chase's strength would be so terrifying?" Bo remarked, still shaken after Chase left. He wondered if his bet had been worth it. Had he been more resolute and sided with Chase, the outcome might have been different.Although he knew Chase was stronger, he had not realized just how overwhelmingly powerful he was. Chase was strong enough to handle all four
Indeed, this excuse worked every time. Hearing that Chase was a hunter who had gotten separated from his tribe, the person guarding the area did not ask too many questions, perhaps out of sympathy or pity. After inquiring about his name, they gave Chase a sleeping spot and advised him to rest early.At dinnertime, the person warmly invited Chase to join them for dinner. They were roasting a large beast's leg over the fire, and Chase could not resist the man's hospitality. He followed him to the fire.Around the fire, seven or eight men were already waiting. Seeing Chase, they quickly made room for him to sit. As a token of gratitude, Chase discreetly retrieved two bottles of liquor from his storage space and shared them.He was always generous to those who showed him kindness.Listening to the men talk about interesting stories from far and wide, Chase found himself thoroughly enjoying their company and soon joined in the conversation. The atmosphere was lively and cheerful.After
Although this place was located in the wilderness, the spiritual energy here was no less than that in the Dragon Vein Secret Realm. Chase absorbed the spiritual energy into his body, quickly entering a state of cultivation.Though the effect of absorbing spiritual energy was minimal for Chase, cultivation had always been about gradual accumulation. There was no such thing as overnight success.In the latter half of the night, a sudden chill woke Chase. He spread out his consciousness, scanning the area but finding nothing unusual. When he shifted his gaze, he finally spotted half a pale face with blood-red lips peeking out from behind a tent.The figure was a woman, strikingly noticeable against the backdrop of the wilderness. As soon as Chase looked over, the woman locked eyes with him. Her eyes moved stiffly, as if studying him.Chase stood up, planning to ignore the woman and warn the men in the tent. However, he noticed that his sleeping bag had inexplicably disappeared. Steppi
The white-clad woman instantly stopped speaking and locked eyes with Chase. Meanwhile, the pool of blood around them slowly expanded, shrouding Chase in a blood-red mist that resembled a thick fog."Chase, don't be careless. This ghostly woman is the overlord of these desolate lands for miles around, known as the Bloodthirsty Preserver. It's said she was once a lover of a high-ranking figure in a tribe, who later abandoned her and tortured her to death."Her intense resentment transformed her into a vengeful spirit. Now, she preys on solitary travelers to absorb their light energy. It's strange, though. We've traveled this path many times and never encountered her before. I wonder why she appeared tonight?" said the leader of the merchants to Chase, alerting him.Chase slightly shrugged his shoulders, releasing a burst of true energy that instantly dispersed the blood mist around him.Sensing danger, the white-clad woman tried to dive back into the pool of blood to escape. Chase sw
"You're spreading lies! When have I ever killed hundreds or thousands of people?" the woman retorted upon hearing the accusations against her."Chase, you must not listen to this ghost's deceitful words," one of the men pleaded."Yes, Chase, you must take action for us. If you weren't here today, we might have become her victims," added another, clearly convinced by the rumors they had heard."Have any of you actually seen this woman kill anyone?" Chase asked, trying to reason with the men. He did not want them to think he was simply using his strength to protect the woman.Seeing Chase defend her, the woman calmed down. She lowered her head and stayed silent."Well, no. We haven't seen it ourselves. It's all just hearsay," one man admitted reluctantly."There you have it. None of you have seen it with your own eyes. It's all based on rumors, which tend to become exaggerated. From my observations today, this woman had no intention of harming you. She was just quietly observing ne